Who doesn't love a good summer potluck or really any gathering involving plenty of food? What's so awesome about hosting a potluck is that it's so low-key, you won't need to spend a ton of time planning for it. When attending a potluck, it's always a good idea to think of dishes that can either be made in a slow cooker if the event is taking place indoors, or dishes that don't have to be piping hot when served. There are several different approaches you can take when it comes to a summer potluck.
We adore make-ahead dishes that allow us to mingle with guests, rather than having to wrangle food onto little toothpicks or something. In the summer (and the rest of the year, really), we're often so strapped for time, that 15-minute summer meals are the best bet.
If the party will have a lot of kids, finger foods, can be really fun. And if the party is indoors, it's a great opportunity to pull out the slow cooker. A slow cooker can also keep the kitchen cooler on hot days while providing a crowd-pleasing potluck dish.
For potluck picnics, bring on the nostalgia with some classic summer picnic recipes, that can hang out in a picnic basket for at least a few hours without the risk of food poisoning.
Keep reading to see some of our favorite summer potluck dishes.
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Vinegar Coleslaw
This vinegar coleslaw recipe is perfect for saving both money and being a little on the healthier side. Cabbage comes from the same family as kale and broccoli, and contains tons of antioxidants.
Mediterranean Lentil Pasta Salad
This Mediterranean lentil pasta salad is inexpensive, delicious, and really healthy, so it's a smart option to bring when we know there are going to be plenty of tasty (but not necessarily healthful) options on the board already.
Easy All-American Potato Salad
This recipe for creamy, delicious, easy all-American potato salad is absolutely perfect and costs so little to make. Bring this classic to a summer picnic, potluck, or barbecue because everyone adores it.
Cold Green Bean Salad
This recipe for cold green bean salad is so delicious and also relatively inexpensive to make. Green beans are a wonderful, nutritious, and are in season in summer. Replace goat cheese with feta if that's preferred.
Broccoli Salad With Bacon
This recipe for broccoli salad with bacon is a delicious, gluten-free side dish that's got a tangy dressing. Don't overcook the broccoli because this is absolutely the best when it stays nice and crunchy.
Southern Collard Greens
This recipe for Southern collard greens is absolutely delicious. Replace the ham with bacon if that's easier to find or if there's already some in the fridge, but the ham does add some extra deliciousness. And so does some liquid smoke!
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Zucchini Bread
We love this recipe for "the best" zucchini bread because it's incredibly tasty, really easy, and also versatile. It can be made in muffin tins or a loaf pan, and use chocolate chips, craisins, and/or nuts.
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Mustard-Crusted Potatoes
These mustard-crusted potatoes are so delicious. All you really need are potatoes, oil, and mustard to make this recipe work, it's super cheap to make even in bulk.
Ranch Veggie Bars
These ranch veggie bars are so delicious and easy to make, and they're also inexpensive. This is a sneaky way to get kids to eat more veggies (and honestly, they're good for getting grown-ups to eat more veggies, too).
Garlic Cheddar Biscuits
This recipe for garlic cheddar biscuits is basically the same as the biscuits at Red Lobster. And everyone knows they are the best things ever. This is also a budget-friendly recipe.
Cheese & Garlic Pull-Apart Bread
This recipe for cheese and garlic pull-apart bread is a kind of melty, buttery garlic bread, but with cheese. The way it's constructed, each bite is covered in the perfect combination of flavors.
Mashed Sweet Potatoes With Kale & Boursin Cheese
Mashed sweet potatoes with kale and Boursin cheese are incredibly delicious, and while this recipe is a little heavy for summer, the truth is, we think it's kind of perfect year-round (and it's inexpensive to make).
Easy Summer Pasta Salad
This easy summer pasta salad has some of our favorite summer flavors in it: bell peppers, artichoke hearts, and grape tomatoes, doused in a basil-balsamic dressing. It's a crowd-pleaser and can also sit out at room temperature for a while without any problems.
Sugar Snap Pea & Carrot Soba Noodles
This recipe for sugar snap pea and carrot soba noodles is perfect for a crowd. We love the way these flavors blend together, but this is also a smart way to get rid of some extra broccoli or bell peppers that are about to turn.
Slow Cooker Italian Turkey Meatballs
For indoor potlucks this summer, this recipe for slow cooker Italian turkey meatballs is absolutely ideal. Just bring the slow cooker, plug it in, and let it do all the work. And turkey isn't just healthier than beef, it's less expensive, too.
Classic Cornbread
This really is "the best" cornbread recipe, and when money is tight, cornbread is the No. 1 best dish to bring. It costs so little to make an enormous double batch of this stuff, and everyone loves it. We're huge fans.
Black Eyed Peas With Ham
We adore this black eyed peas (with ham), which is a classic Southern dish. It's also a savvy way to get a dollar to stretch while still being a delicious dish that feeds a crowd at a party.
Homemade Hummus & Pita Slices
This recipe for hummus is an absolute classic, and it's so incredibly easy to make (not to mention super cheap and even cheaper if the chickpeas are purchased dried and soaked overnight, instead of using canned). Serve with pita slices.
Black Bean & Avocado Enchiladas
Feed a crowd with these black bean and avocado enchiladas for only $1.45 a serving. They're tasty and everyone loves them. Use canned enchilada sauce to save on time, but the DIY version is cheaper (and far more delicious).
Zucchini Noodles With Pesto
This recipe for zucchini noodles with pesto is perfect for summer when zucchini are plentiful and inexpensive to buy. It calls for a DIY pesto, but it's totally OK to grab the jarred kind (Trader Joe's has an inexpensive, high-quality version).
